One very commonly used vehicle is the pickup truck. Like other trucks a pickup truck is designed to carry cargo. To do so a pickup has a truck cab where a driver and passengers sit and a truck bed that is located behind the cab and which is used to carry cargo. Pickup trucks are so successful that every year they are among the best-selling vehicle models.
Pickups trucks come in many different sizes, from small 4-cylinder compacts having, short beds to diesel-powered full size vehicles having extended beds that can carry tons of cargo. However, no matter how big a truck is or how long a truck bed may be, there are some items that may be too long for the truck bed. For example, room sized carpets, wood planks, steel beams, some plumbing supplies, ladders; all can be too long for a pickup truck to safely carry. As a specific example some ladders are over twelve feet long while many truck beds are only six to eight feet long. If such a ladder is transported in a truck having a short bed much of the ladder would extend over the truck bed and would be unsupported, which may lead to damage to either the truck bed or the ladder.
Compounding the problem of short beds is that pickup trucks having shorter beds are very popular. They are easier to handle and more maneuverable than trucks with longer beds. But, trucks with longer beds can carry more than trucks with short beds. The foregoing problem is not limited to pickup trucks. Other vehicles, such as vans and SUVs have beds for moving cargo. But, sometimes an item needing to be moved is just too long for the vehicle's bed.
There are devices that attach to truck beds that enable more cargo to be carried. However, such devices either do not permit long items to be carried or if they do they are difficult to use and can prevent a truck's tailgate from closing. Therefore, a device that enables a truck or other vehicle to carry items longer than the vehicles bed and that is easy to use would be beneficial. Even more beneficial would be such a device that collapses to fit the length of the bed while extending to enable carrying of long items. Even more beneficial would be a device that fits in a vehicle's bed, that extends out to allow carrying of long items, that collapses back into the bed and out of the way, and that is easy to use. Still more beneficial would be a device that fits in a vehicle's bed, that extends out to allow carrying of long items, that collapses back into the bed after use, that is easy to use, and that can be made at low cost using readily available materials.